"`Assimilation of Brahmanism into Buddhism' is a research work on Buddhism and
Buddhist art of early medieval period in India. Archaeological materials and literary
records suggest that Buddhism had a continuous existence during the third century BCE to
the thirteenth century CE in India. Though early Buddhism was totally different in its
doctrines and faith from the Brahmanical system, the Buddhism of today is a
religio-philosophical system having assimilated and adopted new ideas and beliefs from the
environment in which it was born and nurtured.

The introduction of Tantrism bought Buddhism and Brahmanism closer to each other. It
opened the gate to the vast field of Buddhist iconography along with Tantric practices,
deities, `mudras' and `mandalas'. Many of these were influenced by the Brahmanic idea of
godhead and some were the combination of one or more ideas of Brahmanic divinites. There
was assimilation of a number of factors between Brahmanism and Buddhism.

This scholarly volume addresses the different aspects of this assimilation process by
getting into a historical study of Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism; outlining the political
history, and socio-economic and religious changes during 300-700 CE; scanning the
political and economic background and the spreading of esoteric Buddhism; emergence of
Vajrayana Buddhism; and providing a detailed sketch of Vajrayana images."
[from
Blurb]

Contents

Preface

List of Plates

Introduction

1. Historical Study: Hinayana and Mahayana

2. Outline of Political History, Scoio-Economic and Religious Changes in India from
300-700 CE: The Transition Period

3. Political and Economic Background and the Spread of Esoteric Buddhism in Early
Medieval Period India

4. Emergence of Vajrayana

5. Vajrayana Images

6. Conclusion

Glossary of Buddhist Terms

Bibliography

Index

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